Spouts for tablet counting machines



J1me 1961 R HENDRICKSON 2,990,047

SPOUTS FOR TABLET COUNTING MACHINES Filed March 6, 1959 INVENTOR RALPHHENDRWKSON 7M&g

ATTORNEY 2,990,047 SPOUTS FOR TABLET COUNTING MACHINES RalphHendrickson, Gardner, Mass, assignor to The Lakso Company Incorporated,Fitchburg, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Mar. 6, 1959,Ser. No. 797,750 4 Claims. (Cl. 193-23) This invention relates to newand improved adjustable spouts particularly adapted for tablet countingmachines, i.e., machines used for counting tablets, pills, etc. anddepositing the same in individual bottles. One example of use of themachine is in placing correct counts of whole aspirin tablets intobottles, as for instance in fifties and hundreds.

It is of course a prime consideration in present-day tablet counting andfilling to provide for high speed accurate machines, and one way inwhich the speed of filling bottles may be increased is to provide amultiple series of tubes in which the tablets are held, counted and thenreleased to slide down the tubes into the bottles, each tube having aspout, and providing for a plurality of these spouts to lead into asingle bottle. Obviously if a plurality of spouts lead into a singlebottle, even if the tubes are operated seriatum, the filling is fasterthan would be the case where single spouts are used. An example of themachine to which the present invention pertains is disclosed in my priorPatents Nos. 2,585,558, issued November 12, 1952 and 2,701,671 issuedFebruary 8, 1955 among others.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a tablet countingand filling machine of the class described wherein the spouts are madeflexible and thus can be adjusted to accommodate difierent sizes ofbottles and different positions of a series of bottles as they passunder the spouts and are intermittently stopped for the fillingoperation; and the provision of spouts as above recited in which saidspouts are made in the form of coil springs, so that they are flexibleand adjustable and accurately and without damage lead the tablets intothe bottle; and the provision of coil-spring spouts arranged in multiplwas described, in combination with a special new and improved terminalfixture or nozzle to which the lower ends of the coil spring spouts areattached, said fixture having a single aperture for disposition of allof the tablets into a single bottle; and the provision of a nozzle asdescribed which is replaceable by nozzles of different sizes ofopenings, etc. in order to provide for filling bottles of diiferentsizes, neck openings, spacing, etc.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth inthe appendable claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 isa view in front elevation, with parts broken away, illustrating theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation thereof, looking in the direction ofarrow 2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section on line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view, looking in the direction of arrow 5 in FIG.2, parts being in section;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view showing a modification;

FIG. 7 is a section on line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view in side elevation of the nozzle of FIGS. 2 and 4; and

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view thereof, looking in the direction of arrow10 in FIG. 8.

In disclosing the present invention, attention is directed to my priorpatents illustrating feeds, stops, and counting mechanisms for tabletmachines, since only so much of Patented'June 27, 1961 the constructionas is necessary to disclose the present invention is herein shown anddependence is made on the prior art to show devices which are parts ofthe machines of the present case but are not necessary to a fullunderstanding of the particular invention involved herein.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the reference character 10 refers to aportion of the side frame of a tablet counting machine according to theinvention, and this framework also includes for instance brackets 12,supporting a longitudinal bar or the like 14, this bar being provided asa connector or support for a series of upright tubes 16 down throughwhich the tablets 1-8 descend as for instance by gravity. In thesetubes, there are provided various stop pins (not shown) which arrangefor counting of the tablets 18 so that each container will receive thecorrect amount of tablets. At the lower part of frame 10, there may beprovided brackets 20 or the like, which in turn support anotherlongitudinal bar as at 22 beneath, parallel and spaced from the bar 14.Bar 22 is longitudinally slotted, as at 24, or is made out of two spacedbars held in the brackets 20 at the ends thereof, and this double bararrangement is utilized to support a series of spout-and-nozzle holdingbrackets, each of which is generally indicated at 26.

In the case shown, each of these brackets is provided with four openings28 and each opening is designed to receive tablets or pills from asingle tube 16, so that four tubes 16, the latter being in alongitudinal row on bar 14, are to be aligned in such a way as toprovide that all the tablets from each set of four of these tubes extenddownwardly through a single spout-and-nozzle holding bracket at 26.These brackets may beheld for instance in depending relation from thebars 22 as by screws or other type fasteners 30 in slot 24, and as shownin FIG. 4, each bracket 26 is provided with holding means for the funnelor nozzle 32. Nozzle 32 has a single opening as at 34 and leads thetablets from the plurality of tubes directly into the bottles which areindicated at 36.

These bottles are either automatically or manually moved along a line,so that a single bottle receives a series of pills or tablets from aseries of four spouts. Obviously, the number of these spouts is easilychanged, and shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 there is an arrangement for handlingtwo spouts for each bottle, as will be described hereinafter.

Each bracket 26 is provided with a holding means which comprises agenerally U-shaped plate best seen in FIG. 3 and indicated at 38, thesame being held in spaced relation from the under surface of bracket 26by means of a spacer bar 40. The nozzle or funnel 32 is provided with anannular groove 42 which is received by the edge of plate 38 in theU-shaped or concave portion thereof, thus holding the nozzle inposition, and the parts are made to fit with reasonable accuracy, sothat there is no vibration between the nozzle and the plate.

-In any event, it will be clear that the nozzle 32 is easily removableand can be replaced by a different nozzle, i.e., one having an openingof a different shape or size as circumstances may require in the fillingof different sizes and shapes of bottles.

Returning now to consideration of the bar 14, it will be seen that thesame is apertured at intervals and receives the lower ends of tubes 16in countersunk recesses 46. Also, these apertures which are indicated at48 are used for anchoring the upper end of a series of flexible coilsprings 50. These coil springs are made of relatively fine wire, so thatregardless of how they are distorted from a vertical to a sidewiseposition, as for instance shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the same provide arelatively smooth passageway for the tablets and pills and will not chipor injure the same in any way.

The coil springs 50 depend from bar 14 to be inserted at their lowerends in corresponding countersinks in holes 28 in the brackets 26 asclearly shown in FIG. 4, and thus of course it is seen that the brackets26 may be adjusted along the bars 22 and also they may be swiveled, andsecured in any position desired, depending upon the thickness or spacingof the individual bottles 36 which are to be filled. N adjustment of thesprings themselves is necessary inasmuch as they conform to and followthe adjustment of the brackets 26 at all times, and therefore it will beseen that the adjustment of these parts is extremely simple and quick,and the machine may be quickly varied to accommodate different types ofbottles.

A variation of the above-disclosed construction is shown in FIGS. 6 and7 and in this case the tablets descend through inclined tubes or thelike 52 which of course are in series as above described and each ofwhich terminates or rests upon a bar 54 having an aperture therein forthe reception of the upper ends of coiled springs 56.

The lower ends of springs 56 as at 58 rest and are held in countersunkopenings 60 in a bracket or plate 62 which may be mounted as forinstance on a bracket 64, for adjustment similar to that as abovedescribed on a bar 66 :having a central groove in it at 68 with afastener 70 holding the bracket 62 in position.

In this case, it will be seen that there are but two holes 60 and twosprings 56, and that the springs 56 are connected with the undercutportions of these holes for the purpose of leading the pills or tabletsinto the bottles 71. This again shows that there can easily be avariation in size and in number of flexible spring-like spouts 50 and56, and the details of construction of the supports therefor and thespouts and spout brackets depends upon the kind of tablets, the size andtype of bottle to be filled, etc.

As shown in FIG. 6, there is no nozzle or funnel member 32 utilizedalthough this could be arranged to be mounted on the under side of thebracket 62 if desired. Also, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the nozzle orfunnel 72 which is similar to that at 32 may be provided with adifierent shaped opening 74, and other variations and modifications maybe made coming within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A tablet counting machine comprising a framework, a series of tubesmounted therein for passage of tablets therealong, a spout for eachtube, each spout comprising a flexible coil spring, a spout-holdingbracket, a bar on the framework mounting said bracket, a plurality ofsaid spring spouts being attached to said bracket, said bracketincluding multiple apertures for receiving the tablets from each spouttherethrough separately, a nozzle having a single opening aligned withall of the apertures, said apertures and nozzle opening being arrangedfor disposition of the tablets from said plurality of spouts into asingle container arranged temporarily below the spout bracket, and meansmounting said spout bracket in longitudinally adjustable relation onsaid bar.

2. The device as recited in claim 1 including means mounting the spoutbracket for pivotal adjustment on said bar.

3. A tablet counting and filling machine comprising a framework, aplurality of tubular tablet feeding members thereon, a flexible coilspring for each tube arranged at the lower end thereof for continuingthe travel of the tablets from the tubes to the ends of the springs, aspout bracket, a series of apertures therein, each aperture receivingand holding the lower end of one of said flexible coil springs, meansmounting each spout bracket in adjustable relationship on saidframework, the lower ends of said springs following the adjustedposition of said spout bracket and the coil springs accommodatingthemselves to such adjustable motion, a detachable nozzle having asingle opening, and means supporting the nozzle beneath and closelyadjacent the respective spout bracket in a position causing the singleopening of the nozzle to coincide with the series of apertures in thebracket so that the tablets from each set of coil springs falls throughthe single opening into a container positioned temporarily beneath thesame.

4. The machine of claim 3 wherein the nozzle supporting means includes aplate mounted in spaced relation at the under side of said spoutbracket, each nozzle being provided with an annular groove exteriorlythereof fitting in and received by said plate, said plate having agenerally semi-circular portion for reception in said groove, therebysupporting said nozzle detachably in position thereon.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,565,278 Jorgensen Dec. 15, l925 1,811,891 Lund June 30, 1931 2,288,023Oregren et al. June 30, 1942

